Environmental Accountability: Marinduque groups rally and press DENR to release a delayed $100M rehabilitation fund tied to the Marcopper disaster settlement with Barrick Gold, fearing the money could be forfeited. Illegal Mining Crackdowns: Philippines police arrest seven for unauthorized small-scale gold mining in Catanduanes, while Zamboanga Sibugay warns of falsified mining permits after a forged ore transport permit was seized at Pulawan Port. Policy & Permitting: Albania’s draft mining rules would allow individuals to hold permits for the first time, give miners 12 months to repair land after permits end, and tighten reporting cadence. Project Updates & Development: Clean Air Metals files interim results as it advances the Thunder Bay North critical minerals project; TomaGold/Globex report final Phase 2 drill extensions at the Berrigan Mine, extending a polymetallic system; American Rare Earths boosts Cowboy State Mine economics with a larger scoping study (US$1.07B NPV). Energy & Commodities: SAIL airlifts a 1-tonne coking coal sample from Mongolia to test supply diversification for India’s steel sector; China’s thermal coal prices surge to a three-year high as supply tightens. Safety & Disruption: Ten miners are trapped after a tunnel collapse in Afghanistan’s Takhar gold mine. Mining Finance & Infrastructure: New York awards contracts for 1.7 GW of storage plus renewables, while PowerCompute repays its Arch Bitcoin-backed facility, cutting secured debt by ~94%. Legal Risk: Madagascar villagers file a High Court claim against Rio Tinto over alleged lead and uranium contamination from QMM.